We believe that your wedding should be a totally special day - obviously for you and your partner, but also your wedding guests. After all, this is a group of people you’re choosing to share the happiest day of your life with! Your guests deserve to be spoiled and there are plenty of ways to make them feel treated on your wedding day that won’t blow the budget. Here are a few fun and memorable ways to do just that...

photo by Paul Douda Photography

Wedding favors that wow

One of the most obvious ways to make your guests feel special is with some fabulous wedding favors. There are so many different avenues you can go down with wedding favors, and the great news is you can do many of them affordably. Our advice is to channel your love for your guests, and give them something from the heart. A personalized, home-made gift will mean so much more to them than splashing the cash on excessive wedding favors…. get creative and channel your inner craft goddess, or bake something - or brew something! Fill little jars with home-made chutneys, or vintage mini glass bottles with home-made punch or elderflower champagne. There are lots of great ideas for wedding favors out there... And don’t worry - if you’re not super creative, or don’t have the time to make your favors, there is help around! Quirky websites like www.WeddingFavy.com have a wide range of wedding favors to inspire you at a bargain price - a smooth way of taking the stress out of making your wedding favors while still allowing you to personalize and create cute little gifts for your guests.

Show or write your appreciation

It’s your special day, and you’ve asked your guests to help you celebrate it. But often as the bride and groom, you’re simultaneously off playing host to everyone, making sure everything is going to plan, and trying to keep a creepy uncle from coming onto the bridesmaids. It’s a juggling act, and it sometimes means you don’t get to see enough of the people you most want to. Let them know how much you appreciate them being a part of the big day with handwritten name places for tables - maybe include a word of thanks or a reason why you love them so much!

image by Paul Douda Photography

Let your wedding guests pick the music…

Risky, oh so risky… But it’ll shake up the music that the DJ plays in the evening, and means that no one is sat in a corner all night wondering why they never get to hear a song they like. Obviously it’s a good idea to vet the music suggestions first, so you can stop any inappropriate choices before they hit the dance floor… but why not! It won’t cost anything extra, and your guests will have a great time!

Great idea alert: why not make everyone little mixtapes of your wedding playlist so they can listen to songs from the wedding and think back to what an amazing day it was.

Give your wedding guests something useful

If you’re getting married in California, chances are it’s going to be a beautiful sunny day. This is why sunglasses wedding favors are such a great idea if you’re having a summer wedding. If you’re having an outdoor ceremony or reception, personalized sunglasses that your guests will actually be able to use on the day are fun, cheap, and easy to do. They’re also a a cute reminder of your sun-soaked special day.

Other fun but practical ideas are sunscreen, handheld fans or parasols for your guests. No one wants to leave a wedding early because they’ve got sunstroke! Lemonade anyone?

photo by Paul Douda Photography

Set up a candy corner or wedding reception dessert bar

Treat your guests to treats! Pretty much everyone has a sweet tooth…Setting up a candy store is a sure-fire way to delight your wedding guests (and spoil their inner child) - fill yours with vintage candy, mini popcorn buckets, cookies and milkshakes, baked goods… Check out our previous posts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for lots more inspiration.This is your time to shine if you love your making and baking! Any kids that are coming to your wedding will love you forever as a result, and the adults taking a rest from the dancing for a late-night snack will definitely feel the same…

image by Paul Douda Photography

Don’t forget the kids at your wedding!

Your little weddings guests deserve to be treated just as much as your big ones. Think about what they’d enjoy too, and how you could make things like your wedding favours suitable for children too. For example, if you’re giving your adults guests home-bottled cocktails, use the same bottles but fill them with milkshakes or hot cocoa for the kids.

It’s also super easy for kids to get bored and grouchy over the course of a long wedding, so why not combat this by keeping them happy with plenty of games and fun things to do? If you’re having a beach wedding, how about making a beach games box full of bats and balls and other toys, or maybe setting up a scavenger hunt? (Obviously getting a responsible adult to supervise while you’re hunting out the canapes.)This is a great opportunity for your smaller guests to make some new friends and have fun with people their own age!

These are just a few ideas on how you can totally spoil your guests on your wedding day without breaking the bank... Do you have any you’d add to the list? Let us know in the comments below...

image by Paul Douda Photography

Article by guest editor Hollie Jones: Hollie is a freelance writer and co-writer for the Hollie and the Ivy blog. She is passionate about upcycling, interior design, crafts and weddings. Hollie enjoys writing about these topics and spreading her knowledge and experience to others.

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